NNA - The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the Israeli occupation massacre committed at dawn on Thursday, which claimed the lives of five journalists by targeting a broadcast vehicle in front of Al-Awda Hospital in Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The Syndicate said in a statement that this crime comes in the context of a series of ongoing Israeli attacks against Palestinian journalists, which target media professionals at all times and places, in an attempt to obscure the truth and stifle freedom of expression.

The Syndicate pointed out that more than 190 journalists and media workers have been killed since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, which reflects the extent of the systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists.

It pointed out that this ongoing targeting constitutes a war crime according to international conventions, and constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights and freedom of the press.

The Syndicate expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of this crime, stressing that targeting journalists is a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian laws, and is a war crime added to the series of occupation crimes that systematically target journalists and media workers.

It called on the international community and all organizations concerned with human rights to provide urgent protection for Palestinian journalists and take practical steps to stop these crimes against them.

 It also called on international media institutions to shed light on the suffering of Palestinian journalists and ensure that the occupation does not escape punishment. The Syndicate stressed that the Palestinian press will continue to carry out its mission with determination and resolve, despite the occupation's continuous attempts to stop or threaten it.--WAFA

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